Firebird Flight Day – UDC College of Arts and Sciences
At the University of the District of Columbia Firebird Flight Day, a full-day event at the UDC flagship Van Ness Campus, prospective students for the 2028 school year learned about the university and its various schools and colleges. This vibrant event gave students an opportunity to experience and explore the campus.
Jeffrey Fleming, Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences (CAS), and his team greeted over 70 students who expressed interest in the college and wanted to learn more about it. He welcomed the students to the information session and shared its program offerings. Fleming said, “ We always look forward to engaging admitted and prospective students warmly and welcomingly to help them find the right degree program. He continued, “We offer many associate and bachelor degree programs, and it can be challenging for graduating high school students to pick a right fit straight out of high school. These information sessions and group tours are very helpful for them to get started with their college dreams.”
Fleming took the time to meet with two students from the DC International School program who expressed interest in pursuing a creative art degree. According to UDC’s website, the College of Arts and Sciences, Division of Arts and Humanities, offers high-quality, affordable educational pathways to obtain bachelor’s degrees in the Arts, Digital Media, English, and Music.
Choosing college majors can be overwhelming. Students broke into smaller groups to make the day more personal and followed campus tour guides to different information sections. “We organized the students into groups, allowing them to engage with Division Chairs and professors from each college,” said Kemmell Stewart, Coordinator of Development, Outreach, Partnerships, and Communication. “Information sessions and campus tours are a good way for admitted and prospective students to connect with the university and to meet professors from each program to gain more insights into the curriculum and the degree requirements,” said Stewart.
Students from DC International School (DCI), a public charter school with a Middle and High School International Baccalaureate (IB) program that teaches French, Spanish, and Mandarin, also participated in the tour to engage with the various colleges, division leadership teams, and meet with professors to get a sense of college-level programs and classes.
This year, DCI’s College and Career Readiness (CCR) team brought a busload of rising 11th and 12th graders to tour the campus and encouraged them to attend UDC because of its affordability. Andrew Sanchez, who heads the program at the school, always enjoys field trips that allow students to tour the campus in the Washington DC area and beyond. With UDC being the only public higher education in the District, Sanchez takes extra time to make sure that students understand the university’s affordability compared to other colleges and universities in the area. That way, all students who graduate from DCI can go to college and graduate debt-free.
As District residents or residents of the Washington DC area, all students can benefit from endless opportunities and possibilities in the nation’s capital. “We always encourage our students to apply to either the UDC community college to get started or head straight for the university main campus because of the tuition rates,” said Leticia Rodriguez, High School Assistant Principal at the D.C. International School in Washington DC. “It is the most affordable school in the area that offers many internships to students in the Washington DC area,” Rodriguez said. “It was a very informative day, and we look forward to returning to UDC with a new group of students to explore all the opportunities, too.”
